Windshield-cleaner



1. 1. ETRACY.

WINDSHIELD CLEANER.

lAPPLICATION msn MAR.23, 19u.

1,370,168, l y Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

TTOENE Y6- PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES J. TRACY, OI' CLEVELAND, OHIO.

WINDSHIELD-CLEANER.

To ad who-m z't may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES J. TRACY, a citizen of the United States', and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga,.and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Windshield-Cleaners, of which the following is a specification, the principle of theinvention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

The object of the present invention is to provide a cleaner for wind-shields, such. as form a feature of modern automobile design, which can be readily aiiixed to a shield of standard type without requiring any modifications in the construction thereof, and without use of any special tools or separate fastening means. In other words the present improved cleaner may be directly manually attached to such wind-shield. A further object is to provide a cleaning device, which is adapted to automatically adjust itself to the shield, soas to allow the cleaning element to aline itself to the glass pane of the shield at all times, and thus to insureA effective wiping. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then', consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but several of the various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing Figure 1 is partly a vertical side elevation and partly a transverse section of my present improved cleaning device in place on a vwind-shield, the latter being shown in broken section; Fig. 2 is a section of a portion of such devicetaken at right-angles to the plane of Fig. 1,f as indicated by the line 2 2, on said figure; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same detail Fig. 4 is a view similar to'Fig. 1, but showing a modified form of construction of the device; Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of a portion of such device as indicated by the line 5-5, Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is another view similar to Fig. 1, but showing a second modified form of construction; and Fig. 7 is a transverse section of such last-named form of the device,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 1, 192.1.

Application led March 23, 1917. Serial No. 156,896.

being indicated by lit is attached, such member being illustrated as of hollow tubular form and channeled longitudinallyon its inner face to receive the corresponding edge of the glass pane 3, which forms the rial of this clip is suliiciently resilient tc enable it to snap over the member in question and remain wherever placed along the same by reason of its frictional engagement therewith. Stamped up integrally from the body of the clip is a boss 4, the opposite sides of which are perforated at 5, 5 respectively, so as to provide a bearing for the spindle 6 of the cleaning device.

Such spindle may, as in the case of the first form of the device (illustrated in Fig. 1) be formed integral with the two parallel arms 7 and 8 of the` device, which depend on opposite sides of the shield, the first one constituting an operating handle and the other carrying the cleaning element. The operating arm 7 preferably is curved outwardly a shield proper. The matetrifle, near its lower end, to form a conven .1 lent handle 9, and terminates 1n a portion 10 disposed at approximately right angles to the plane of the shield. Such portion is re'- cessed, or bored out a short distance, to receive a plug 11 of leather or equivalent fibrous material, which is adapted to bear directly against the glass without scratching or marring thesame.

The point of contact of the operating arm as defined by such bearing element 11, is designed to be substantially midway between the ends of the cleaning member carried by the other arm 8 of the device. Such cleaning member-consists of a strip of rubber 12 held in a ferule 13, the back of which is of tubular form to allow the correspondin arm to be inserted therein, after which it is riveted fast.

The diameter of the apertures 5 in the boss 4 on the clip 2, through which the spindle 6 of the device passes, is somewhat greater, at least in a vertical direction, than the diameter of such spindle. This isnot merely to facilitate the slipping of the clip along the operating arm into its proper placeon the spindle portion of the device, but to provide in effect a floating support for the cleaning element by leaving the Vspindle free to oscillate in the plane of the device about an axis passing through the point lof contact of the operating arm with such shield. Accordingly, the Whole device is free to swing in its own plane about the axis last defined, irrespective of the position of the device about the spindle axis, and the cleaning element or wiper is automatically maintained in uniform contact throughout its length with the surface of the shield. At the same time the spindle is free to shift longitudinally of Aits axis, this being also of importance where the rubber wiper is allowed to flop first in one direction and then the other, to correspond with the direction in which the device is swung.

The modification in construction illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 consists in making the operating arm 15 separate from the spindle 16, the other arm 17, however, remaining integral therewith, as before. Said operating arm, where thus separable, is pro-- videdv at its upper end with an enlargement 18 having a rectangular opening transverse to its axis, adapted to receive the correspondingly shaped end 19 of the spindle. An elongated slot 20 leads from the lower corner of such opening, and a small bolt 21 passes transversely through the head 18 and such slot, so that, by tightening up the bolt, the head may be closed on the spindle end, securely locking the two parts together.

In Figs. 6 and 7 a further modification is shown, consisting in the provision of a second cleaning element 22 or wiperattached to the operating arm 23, the device otherwise being similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1. This second wiper is thus attached to said operating arm by means of a forked enlargement 24 on the end of the arm, which straddles the back of the wiper approximately at its mid-point, and is pivotally attached thereto by means of a suitable pin 25, which leaves the device free to adjust itself as before, the spindle having the same sort of play in the boss 4 of the clip 2 as in the first-described construction.

Instead of relying entirely, or at all, upon the vertical enlargement of the apertures 5 to provide capacity for oscillation of the device about an axis transverse to its own axis, in the fashion herein .before described, it will be understood that the clip 2 will tend to adjust itself about the axis of the framemember 1, where the latter is of the general circular cross-section shown, so as to give practically the same result. It will not be necessary, in order to allow the clip thus to adjust itself, that itbe at all loose on the frame-member, which it should of lcourse grip with sufiicient' frictional force to remain in selected position thereon.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed. I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. In a wind-shield cleaner, the combination of a one-piece spring clip conforming to and adapted to directly frictionally engage the frame of the shield and remain in selected position thereon, said clip being provided with a transverse bearing; a spindle mounted in said bearing; two transversely disposed arms attached one to each end of said spindle, so as to lie on opposite sides of such shield; and a cleaning element attached to one of said arms.

2. In a wind-shield cleaner, the combination of a one-piece sheet metal clip conforming to and adapted. to directly frictionally engage Athe frame of the shield and remain in selected position thereon, said clip having a hollow boss extending up integrally therefrom and formed with transversely alined apertures; a spindle mounted in said apertures as a bearing; two transversely disposed arms attached one to each end of said spindle, so as to lie on opposite sides of such shield; and a cleaning element attached to one of said' arms.

Signed by me, this 20th day of March,

JAMES J. TRACY. 

